Argyranthemum plant named &#39;SUN 440&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Argyranthemum  plant named ‘SUN 440’, characterized by its uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; single-type inflorescences with white-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Argyranthemum frutescens.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUN 440’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofArgyranthemum plant, botanically known as Argyranthemum frutescens andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘SUN 440’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new Argyranthemumplants with attractive ray and disc floret colors and good gardenperformance and pest resistance.

The new Argyranthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made bythe Inventor in August, 2011 in Glandorf, Germany of two unnamedseedling selections of Argyranthemum frutescens, not patented. The newArgyranthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as asingle flowering plant from within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Glandorf,Germany in July, 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Argyranthemum plant by vegetative tipcuttings was first conducted in Glandorf, Germany in February, 2013.Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features ofthis new Argyranthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Argyranthemum have not been observed under allpossible combinations of environmental conditions and culturalpractices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of the new Argyranthemum plant. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘SUN 440’ as a new anddistinct Argyranthemum plant:

-   -   1. Uniformly mounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Single-type inflorescences with white-colored ray florets.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Argyranthemum differ from plants of the parentselections primarily in uniformity as plants of the new Argyranthemumare more uniformly mounding than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Argyranthemum can be compared to plants ofArgyranthemum frutescens ‘SUN 160’, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Glandorf, Germany, plants of the newArgyranthemum differed primarily from plants of ‘SUN 160’ in ray floretcolor as plants of ‘SUN 160’ have red-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Argyranthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Argyranthemum plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘SUN 440’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typicalflowering plant of ‘SUN 440’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown during the spring and early summer in9-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Glandorf, Germany andunder cultural practices typical of commercial potted Argyranthemumproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperatures rangedfrom 14° C. to 28° C., night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 18° C.and light levels ranged from 25 klux to 90 klux. Plants were pinched onetime five weeks after planting and were 2.5 months old when thephotographs and description were taken. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Argyranthemum frutescens ‘SUN 440’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed seedling selection of            Argyranthemum frutescens, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed seedling selection of            Argyranthemum frutescens, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 8 to 10 days at            temperatures about 18° C. to 24° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 10 to 15 days at            temperatures about 14° C. to 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 to 16            days at temperatures about 18° C. to 24° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 16 to 20            days at temperatures about 14° C. to 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fine to medium in thickness, fibrous;            typically white in color, actual color of the roots is            dependent on substrate composition, water quality,            fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and            physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; uniformly            mounding plant habit; upright to broadly spreading form;            overall shape, roughly flattened globular; moderately            vigorous growth habit.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching growth habit with about 23            lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances            lateral branch development.        -   Plant height.—About 14.4 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 22.6 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 6.1 cm. Diameter: About            3.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Strength: Strong;            young stems, flexible. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Luster:            Slightly glossy. Color: Close to 137D.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.        -   Length.—About 7.2 cm.        -   Width.—About 3.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Pinnatisect; in outline, narrowly obovate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Margin.—Deeply incised.        -   Sinuses.—Parallel to slightly divergent.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;            leathery.        -   Luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Matte.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137C.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A to 138B.            Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C;            venation, close to 138B. Fully expanded leaves, lower            surface: Close to 137C; venation, close to 138A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence form and arrangement.—Single-type terminal and            axillary inflorescences held above and beyond the foliar            plane on strong peduncles; ray and disc florets arranged            acropetally on a receptacle; inflorescences face mostly            upright to outwardly.        -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 125            inflorescences developing per plant during the flowering            season.        -   Flowering season.—Plants flower from spring to late summer            in Germany; flowering continuous during this period.        -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two to            three weeks on the plant; inflorescences not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—Moderately fragrant.        -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 7 mm. Diameter: About            7 mm. Shape: Globular. Color: Towards the base, close to            144B; towards the apex, close to 199B; towards the margins,            close to 166C.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.5 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.3 cm. Receptacle            diameter: About 5 mm. Receptacle height: About 4 mm.        -   Ray florets.—Quantity per inflorescence and arrangement:            About 31 to 44 arranged in about three whorls. Length: About            2.2 cm. Width: About 6.5 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex:            Emarginate to shallowly praemorse. Base: Attenuate. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; velvety.            Texture, lower surface: Glabrous; carinate. Luster, upper            and lower surfaces: Slightly glossy. Color: When opening,            upper surface: Close to NN155A to NN155B. When opening,            lower surface: Close to NN155D. Fully opened, upper surface:            Close to NN155D; color does not change with development.            Fully opened, lower surface: Close to NN155D slightly tinged            with close to 186D; color does not change with development.        -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence and arrangement:            About 175 spirally arranged at center of receptacle. Length:            About 5.5 mm. Diameter, apex: About 2 mm. Diameter, base:            About 0.5 mm. Shape: Tubular with five free apical lobes.            Apex: Acute. Texture, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Luster, inner surface: Glossy. Luster, outer            surface: Matte. Color, immature, inner and outer surfaces:            Apex: Close to 200A. Mid-section and base: Close to 150D.            Color, mature, inner and outer surfaces: Apex: Close to            175B. Mid-section and base: Close to 145D.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence and arrangement:            About 24 arranged in two whorls. Length: About 4 mm. Width:            About 2.5 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Praemorse. Base: Broadly            cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; edges, papery. Luster, upper surface:            Glossy. Luster, lower surface: Matte. Color, upper surface:            Close to 144B to 144C; margins and papery edges, close to            199B. Color, lower surface: Close to 143B; margins and            papery edges, close to 199B.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 3.8 cm. Length,            fourth peduncle: About 7.9 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle:            Terminal peduncle, erect; lateral peduncles, about 50° from            branch axis. Strength: Strong. Texture: Slightly ribbed,            glabrous. Luster: Slightly glossy. Color: Close to 137C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Filament length: About 1.5 mm. Anther length: About            1 mm. Anther shape: Lanceolate; basifixed. Anther color:            Close to 14B. Pollen amount: Scarce to moderate. Pollen            color: Close to 17B. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc            florets. Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape: Decurrent.            Stigma color: Close to 13A. Style length: About 3.5 mm.            Style color: Close to 154B. Ovary color: Close to 145C.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been            observed on plants of the new Argyranthemum.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Argyranthemum have not    been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Argyranthemum plants.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Argyranthemum have been    observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind,    high temperatures about 40° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness    Zone 9.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Argyranthemum plant named ‘SUN 440’as illustrated and described.